Wearing apparel



- Dec. 28, 1943.

M. N PETERSON WEARING APPAREL Original Filed July 5, 1959 I @MMW Patented Dec. 28, 1943 UNi orrics WEARING APPAREL Marjorie Norris Peterson, Ada, Okla.

Substituted for abandoned application Serial No. 282,850, July 5, 1939. This application May 29,

1942, Serial No. 445,090

2 Claims. (01. 2-46) This invention relates to garments, and more particularly has reference to a maternity dress.

This is a substitute for my previous application, Serial No. 282,850, filed July 5, 1939.

It will be appreciated, of course, that maternity dresses must be adapted to accommodate themselves to a continuous increase in the size of the wearer, and, while dresses of this character in the past have made provision for this increase in size, they have been open to serious objection on the ground that such provisions have been at the sacrifice of pleasing design of the dress.

Moreover, and particularly objectionable, has

been the fact that heretofore maternity dresses have been so markedly difierent from conventional apparel. that it has been readily apparent that such a dress is of the maternity type.

An object of this invention is to provide a dress of pleasing and attractive design.

Another object of this invention has been to provide a maternity dress which, in the normal course of wearing, appears to be of conventional design.

Yet another object of this invention is to so design a maternity dress as to conceal any abnormal development of an expectant mother.

With the above and other important objects in view, as will be more apparent hereinafter, my invention in general embraces a concept of a maternity garment which affords an attractive appearance and at the same time provides for a marked variation in the size of the wearer. More specifically, the invention contemplates an adjustability around the hips and abdomen of a women without variation in the size of the garment below the thighs. In the preferred form of my invention I provide for expansion of the dress in the vi cinity of the hips by resilient means, and adjustability oi the garment about the abdomen is possible due to the use of overlapping and independent front and rear sections, as well as by the use of adjustable shoulder straps. In the accompanying drawings I have shown one specific embodiment of my invention concept, but it will be appreciated that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing, in which corresponding numerals refer to the same part:

Figure 1 is a front view in perspective of the complete garment as worn by a woman, the jacket or smock being indicated by broken lines.

Figure 2 is a rear view in perspective of the skirt portion and bodice as worn by a woman.

Figure 3 is a view of the bodice and skirt in partially assembled position.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the front and rear panels of the skirt and bodice.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1, it will be noted that the complete garment comprises a skirt portion indicated generally by the numeral 5, a bodice indicated generally by the numeral 2 and an outer garment indicated generally by the broken line 3. It might be stated that the general style of the outer garment 3 is immaterial, but it is preferable to have a smock of jacket-like design. Its principal function is to cover the bodice and upper portion of the skirt, and it is therefore essential that it should extend well down the hip and should be sufficiently loose fitting to minimize the abnormal size of the wearers hips and abdomen.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4, it will be noted that the skirt proper is composed of a front panel 4 and a rear pane1 5, both of generally rectangular shapes. The two panels are stitched along their edges from bottom to a point indicated as and are of such a cut that they will drape in the normal fashion from point 6 to provide a skirt of conventional design. Wings 1 are provided along the edge of panel 4 above the point 6 and corresponding are provided upon the rear panel 5.

The bodice 2 is formed of a front panel 3 and a rear panel H, such panels being independent of one another, save for shoulder straps 22. It will be noted that the effective of the shoulder straps are varied by means of the adjustable clips it. The panels 3 and ii the bodice are generally tapered, as best shown in Figure gthe lower ends of which register with the upper edges of the skirt panels i and 5 and Wings 1 and *3, and are stitched thereto.

.Tie strings M are provided for the front portion of the skirt and bodice, while tie strings is are provided for the rear portion.

It will be noted that the rear panel 5 of the skirt is provided with elastic inserts is adjacent the wings 8, and, with the bodice and skirt construction, permit of an adjustable fit as the wearer increases in size, and especially allows the wearer to sit in comfort. Pleats l? or other ornamentative features may be incorporated in the skirt.

In dressing, the skirt may be put on over the head of the wearer in the normal Way until the shoulder straps rest upon the shoulders. The rear tie strings I5 are then encircled about the body of the wearer until the rear of the bodice fits snugly about the back, and the strings I 5 are then tied. The tie strings I 4 are thereupon tied in the back of the wearer to provide a snug fit by the front of the bodice. The jacket or smock 3 may then be put on, and, as shown in Figure 1, will effectively conceal the bodice and upper part of the skirt including the inserts l6.

The advantages of my invention are believed to be readily apparent. In the first place, the visible portion of the skirt, when the jacket 3 is being worn, is of conventional construction, and

there is nothing in its appearance that would indicate that it is a maternity garment. At the same time adequate expansion through the hips is permitted by reason of the elastic inserts l6 and also the adjustable character of the upper part of the skirt resulting fromthe omission of stitching above the point 6. This adjustability of the upper part of the skirt, and also the adjustability of the bodice, permits a variation in the fit of the garment with the increased size of the wearer. Cooperating with the adjustability of the bodice and skirt are the adjustable shoulder straps which may be varied to compensate for the increased size of the wearer. It will be appreciated that the jacket or smock 3 effectively covers those features of the dress here disclosed which diiTer from the conventional design of womens apparel, and therefore all of the advantages of a maternity garment are provided with out any visible indication of such features.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth by way of illustration. For instance, while I have shown the bodice as being composed of a separate piece of material stitched to the skirt, it is of course apparent that, if desirable, the bodice and skirt panels may be cut from a single piece of material. Likewise, other securing means may be substituted for the stitching referred to, and also equivalents may be substituted for the tie strings and shoulder straps. In general, there are changes and variations in the precise embodiment here disclosed which may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that my inventive concept is to be defined solely by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A garment comprising a skirt composed of front and rear panels, a triangular wing-like member secured to each side of each skirt panel at a point near the top of the said panels, each of said wing-like members flaring laterally outwardly from its lower portion to its upper portion, the wing-like members of one panel being adapted to overlap the wing-like members of the other panel, said panels being stitched along their vertical edges from their lower extremities to the point where the lower portions of the winglike members are secured to the panel, a bodice joined to the upper edge of the skirt and comprising front and rear panels, each of said bodice panels being joined at its lower edge to the upper edge of the corresponding skirt panel and associated wing-like members and tapering inwardly and upwardly from its lower edge to its upper edge, and shoulder straps connecting the upper edge of one bodice panel to the upper edge of the other bodice panel for supporting the bodice from the shoulders of the wearer.

2. A garment of the character described comprising a skirt composed of front and rear panels, a wing-like member secured to each side of each skirt panel, the upper edges of said wing-like members being in substantial horizontal alignment with and forming continuations of the upper edge of said skirt panels, a bodice associated with said skirt and embodying a front panel havinga lower edge secured to the upper edge of the front panel of the skirt and to the upper edges of the two wing-like members associated with the said panel, and a rear panel similarly secured to the upper edges of the rear panel of the'skirt and the rear wing-like members, said front and rear panels having side edges inwardly and upwardly inclined from the lower edge at the outermost extremities of said wing-like members to an upper neck portion, means for supporting the bodice and said skirt from the shoulders of the wearer, and means for adjustably securing the wing-like members associated with .each skirt panel and the attached lower portions of the bodice panels in overlapping relation about the waist of the wearer.

3. A garment of the character described comprising a skirt composed of front and rear panels, a wing-like member secured to each side of each skirt panel, the upper edges of said wing-like members being in substantial horizontal alignment with and forming continuations of the upper edge of said skirt panels, a bodice associated with said skirt and embodying a front panel having a lower edge secured to the upper edge of the front panel of the skirt and to the upper edges of the two wing-like members associated with the said panel, and a rear panel similarly secured to the upper edges of the rear panel of the skirt and the rear wing-like members, said front and rear panels having side edges inwardly and upwardly inclined from the lower edge at the outermost extremities of said wing-like members to an upper neck portion, straps connecting the panels forming the bodice, said straps supporting the bodice and said skirt from the shoulders of the wearer, tie means for adjustably securing the wing-like members associated with each skirt panel and the attached lower portions of the bodice panels in overlapping relation about the waist of the wearer.

MARJORIE NORRIS PETERSON. 

